Via. Flickr

Its colourful history is testament to its desirability with both Egypt and Israel having staked claim to its ports at one point or another. Fortunately for the weary traveller and the discerning holiday maker, those days of unrest are well in the past. Peace treaties cemented the end of conflict in the region over 30 years ago and Sharm el Sheikh itself has been heralded as “The City of Peace” due to the number of international peace conferences which have taken place in the city since its return to Egyptian rule.

Strict environmental laws and marine conservation efforts have turned the surrounding coral reefs into one of the world’s favourite scuba diving locations. Divers of all levels from across the globe visit Sharm el Sheikh all year round to marvel at the flora and fauna in the pristine waters of its countless dive sites. Commercial shipping has been also been greatly reduced with the marinas making way for private yachts, dive schools and water sport facilities.

Via. Flickr

There are plenty of opportunities for qualified divers to test their skills, and a whole host of companies offering instruction and training for those working towards PADI qualifications. Not a diver? Worry not! SCUBA diving isn’t the only water sport on offer. The reefs are ideal for snorkelling, and the calm, traffic free waters closer to shore are perfect for wind surfing, kite surfing and para-sailing.

SCUBA diving and water sports are certainly a major draw to the region for many, but Sharm el Sheikh also has plenty to offer on dry land. On its opposite side Sharm el Sheikh sits at the desert’s edge overlooked by the dramatic Sinai mountain range. This landscape can be almost lunar in places giving its visitors views which couldn’t contrast more with the underwater paradise offered by the sea.
The desert and mountains are no less interesting however with regular desert safaris to show-case the local wildlife and off-road 4×4 excursions for the more adventurous.  There are numerous opportunities to meet the nomadic Bedouin peoples of the region and get a feel for a life style which has remained unchanged for thousands of years. For the more spiritual traveler, there are several places of religious interest including Saint Catherine’s Monastery and Mount Sinai, where, according to the Hebrew Bible, Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

Via. Flickr

The city its self also has plenty on offer for everyone. For a spot of retail therapy, shops ranging from traditional bazaars offering local wares and souvenirs at negotiable prices to major European stores with top brand names at fixed prices. Both the determined bargain hunter and the shopaholic alike are sure to find what they are after.

Sharm el Sheikh also plays host to a large and diverse selection of cafes and restaurants, offering cuisine from around the world. Many restaurants feature the American, French, Italian and Oriental inspired menus most will be familiar with. Plenty of locally owned eateries however provide a great opportunity to sample the local cuisine and a delicious taste of the real Egypt is sure to be a highlight of any Red Sea holiday.

As a world-class holiday destination Sharm el Sheikh boasts many wonderful hotels offing top-level accommodation to suit every travel budget. From bed and breakfast at the family focused Ghazala Beach Hotel to the all-inclusive experience of the aptly named Grand Hotel any traveller is sure to have an unforgettable experience in Sharm el Sheikh.

Breathtaking sunset at Ponta da Piedade

I can’t think of a more beautiful backdrop for our wedding than this, can you?!

Well, a quick investigation of my photos revealed something somewhat interesting. A unexpected selection of rather stylish guards, rockin’ some crazy uniforms throughout Europe!

What is up with these crazy uniforms? The last thing these guys look is intimidating….well, maybe the Czech guys do. If only I had a picture of a RCMP officer to complete the set!

The Swiss Guard in Vatican City, Italy

The Queen’s Guard – London, England

The Prague Castle Guard – Czech Republic

Honeymoon, what to do?

For us, our honeymoon is a really good excuse for an extravagant trip – staying is posh hotels, eating amazing food, and generally taking advantage of this once in a lifetime trip. But with so many choices of trip and so many places to go I barely even know where to start! All-inclusive resort? Cruise? Adventure holiday? This is just the type of dilemma I’m happy to have.

To All-Inclusive or Not to All-Inclusive?

There is something appealing about those blue pools and all you can eat buffets – Via. Flickr

After all the stress of wedding planning the idea of an all-inclusive holiday is pretty appealing. Spending days laying on the beach or by the pool, eating and drinking to your heart’s content and not having to worry about a thing. Oh, bliss of bliss.

I’m not sure, however, that we’re really the all-inclusive resort type. I like to be able to do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it and I’m not a resort is really conducive to this. Also, being vegetarian I would worry about the food selection. Same-y pasta night after night isn’t really what I have in mind.

A World Away or Close To Home?

Decisions, decisions. via. Flickr

This is another one with both pros and cons. A valid argument can be made for both, it’s just a matter of priorities I suppose.

The argument for heading a world away is mainly, when will you ever have another opportunity like this? For most of us heading off on a long and expensive trip just isn’t an option, but a honeymoon is a good excuse. I’d love to jet off to Bali or head back to Australia for three or four weeks and just enjoy our first few weeks of marriage in beautiful surroundings, just the two of us. On the other hand, the majority of the honeymoon budget would just go towards flights and a days could be lost just getting to out destination. Do I really want to spend the first few days of our honeymoon jet lagged with swollen ankles? That’s not my sexiest look.

In but a few hours we could be in Tuscany. Yes, please! via. Flickr

One of the biggest perks of living in the UK is that we are so close to Europe and can be ‘on the continent’ in a matter of hours. I could conceivably have my breakfast at home in England and then have lunch in Paris (were money not an object, that is). This easy access is a major pro when it comes to honeymoon planning – relatively little money or time is wasted on transit, leaving lots of both for enjoying our actual destination. Not only that, but there are so many amazing places that I have still yet to visit in Europe, with Tuscany, Croatia, and Greece all at the top of the list.

Decisions, decisions! This is well and truly the best dilemma I’ve ever had. The world is our oyster, it’s just a matter of choosing the pearl. Whether we decide to stay at a resort, fly across the world, or relax a little closer to home I know we’ll have an amazing time full of adventures, good food, and the best company.

I’m off to continue dreaming.

Hot pink Hibiscus

Despite the stomach issues I still have fond memories of my trip to Fiji – laying on the beach in the bright sun, relaxing in a shady hammock reading a book, scuba diving for the first time, chasing hermit crabs across the sand, and the beautiful tropical flowers. The vibrant colours and subtle scents of the tropical blooms enchanted me, all looking too perfect and unusual to be real – surely these flowers can only be grown in heated greenhouses by experts? Apparently not! Nature really is pretty amazing, isn’t it?!

White and yellow Plumeria

I have no idea what this is but it sure is pretty

Everyone can take part in Friday Photos, just visit @FriFotos on Twitter or search for #FriFotos to join in on the fun!

Some parts of the world, however, take the art of Easter egg decorating considerably more seriously. When we were in Poland this past summer we spent a rainy afternoon exploring the Muzeum Etnograficzne in Kraków, a wonderful little museum just outside of the city centre. As the name would indicate, this is an ethnographic museum that explores Polish culture past and present, endeavoring to be a “centre of reflection and understanding oneself and others.” One of the newest exhibits at the museum explores the history of Easter egg decorating in Poland, a traditional craft that has withstood the test of time.

Getting up close and personal with a selection of Polish pisanka

Hundreds of beautiful Easter eggs to marvel at

Quite honestly, to call this a ‘craft’ is an understatement. This is a highly skilled art and the women who undertake it are artists of the highest degree. The steadiness of hand and eye for design that decorating these eggs takes is jaw-dropping and that the majority of eggs that will survive to be marvelled at by future generations will have the artists listed as ‘anonymous’ is unfortunate to say the least.

A staggeringly beautiful pisanka

Poland isn’t the only place where the art of egg decorating survives, it’s a Slavic tradition that is still practiced in countries like Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia to name but a few. In these countries, as in Poland, the techniques and designs vary from region to region, town to town, and family to family, and are passed through the generations from mother to daughter. Egg decorating is a skill that is pretty much exclusive to women, as in its pagan past it was believed that men could put a spell on the eggs and cause bad luck. I think it’s rather nice to think of a group of women sitting around a table chatting to one another and teaching each other these intricate skills.

Beautiful batik like pisanka

How do they do that?! Skill, pure skill!

Although I know my skills are considerably less than the artists who decorated these eggs, I’m still going to give a bit of pisanka a try today. You’ve got to start somewhere right?! I’ve found a short tutorial for beginners that I’m going to try out, fingers crossed there’s no catastrophes! I suppose all I have to lose is an egg-shell and some time. If only I had a Polish grandmother to teach me her skills!

Happy Easter to everyone. I hope you have a cracking good time!

My mom isn’t just my mom, she’s one of my two favourite travel partners, a combined title she holds with the lovely Damian of course.

Road-trip hysterics at the Meeting of the Waters, Avoca, Ireland

With my mom I have had some of the best travel adventures of my life. We’ve been scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef and glacier climbing in New Zealand. We’ve drunk Guinness in Dublin and tasted too much wine in Portugal. We’ve road-tripped around Ireland and bike toured around Amsterdam. We’ve ferried across the Mersey and stood in the magnificent glow of the Eiffel Tower at night.

Mother and daughter in a giant wooden shoe in Amsterdam – of course!

Scuba diving together on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Tomorrow another travel adventure with my mom begins. Where will we end up? Who knows! But with my mom along for the ride I know I’ll have a great time!

Do you have a favourite travel partner/partner in crime? What makes them the best travel buddy?

There are some places that just get inside of you and forever draw you back. Places that for one reason or another wrap themselves around your soul and just refuse to let go.

Paris is one of those places for me.

From the first moment that I arrived in the ‘City of Lights’ I was smitten, and it is a love affair that hasn’t cooled since. It is a city that I could return to again and again and never get bored with, and never feel as though I had figured it out.

Paris is a city of cool aloofness. A city of beguiling mystery and elegant disorder. I think this is precisely the crux of Paris’ appeal – it’s a city where everyone and everything seems effortlessly cool and completely indifferent to your very existence. I don’t know why that is so appealing but it well and truly is.

The Food of Paris

Oh, food, glorious food! A life lived without delicious food just isn’t worth living, and this is more true in Paris than almost anywhere else I’ve ever been. Amazing food in Paris isn’t just about fancy restaurants and big prices, it’s about street markets, neighbourhood bakeries, and little fromageries. Everything in Paris just seems that little bit better than what I can get at home. The yogurt is rich and creamy and served in adorable little glass cups. The strawberries are like tiny red jewels and a single berry is packed with the flavour of an entire grocery store punnet. The wine. The cheese. The bread. The pastries. The list is just never ending!

As I’ve said before, if I lived in Paris I would quickly be the size of a house – a soft, comfortable, and satisfied house. In the past I’ve always stayed in a hotel in Paris, but the next time I’m determined to stay in a self-catering apartment like the ones on All-Paris-Apartments so that I can properly take advantage of all the gorgeous produce and cook to my heart’s content.

The Grandeur of Paris

gran·deur
/ˈgranjər/
Noun

1. Splendor and impressiveness, esp. of appearance or style.
2. High rank or social importance.

Nothing in Paris is done by halves. Everything is more elaborate, more ornate, shinier, and just generally more impressive. Of course there’s the Eiffel Tower, the l’Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre, but grandeur is not limited to these grand state buildings. Everything in Paris seems to have that je ne sais quoi that just sets it apart. Fences are mazes of elegant spirals and side street flower boxes overflow with blood-red geraniums. Even the cemeteries are some of the most romantic I’ve ever seen. Other cities are grand, other cities are elegant, but none of them do it like Paris.

Have you visited a city that has captured your heart? What makes it so captivating to you?

I was going through my shoe box of random travel ephemera the other day and came across leftover currency from no less than seven different nations! This got me thinking about how I might make better use of all these coins and notes. Enter Pinterest! Here are just a few of my favourite coin craft finds.

diy coin charm bracelet via. What I Wore

coin magnets via. Tattered Style

coin keyrings and pendant via. A Spoon Full of Sugar

coin wall art via. Turning Stones

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Featured image via. Flickr